COVID-19 etiquette and good manners after 19 July 2021

I am awarding myself, one of my coveted gold stars! ? No-one else is likely to do so! ?

growstuff

Don't worry about people who say this kind of thing ElderlyPerson. They remind me of the playground bullies who try to goad other children into doing something out of their comfort zone (often downright dangerous) with the aim of making fun of the other children's fear.

This is really unfair Growstuff
Nobody is bullying anybody and you are doing even ElderlyPerson a disservice to throw out random accusations.
I read Molly ‘s post as entirely caring and my own was based on my feeling that for many of us, Covid may have catapulted us into an “old age” way of life which we=might not have anticipated until at least our 80’s with increased (hopefully unnecessary) levels of anxiety and obsession with health risks.
Loneliness during the lockdowns was recognised as a significant factor for those suffering from dementia and will have contributed to the isolation many elderly people suffer from. Many posts on GN reveal fear of going out, or mixing even with family or close friends.
That is not the life I intend to lead in the remainder of my 70’s, as long as my general health and mobility permit!

I don't expect to make any changes after July 19th, since long ago abandoned the wearing of disposable gloves - after all, what was the point as I was going to wash my hands anyway? I started off spraying my shopping deliveries with a bleach solution, but then again, hand-washing removed any contamination from tins and packets. Fruit and veg were a different proposition as they might have been 'pawed' by shoppers, so they were washed in a solution of potassium permanganate. Now, just washing seems adequate. However, my mask will remain when I am in shops or public transport.

growstuff

Don't worry about people who say this kind of thing ElderlyPerson. They remind me of the playground bullies who try to goad other children into doing something out of their comfort zone (often downright dangerous) with the aim of making fun of the other children's fear.

People are just recounting their own experiences and how they are managing to live with a pandemic. growstuff.
No-one is bullying or trying to make ElderlyPerson anything which would make him uncomfortable.

If ElderlyPerson feels happier and safer living like this that is fine for him.

However, many would find the isolation and lack of contact intolerable leading to MH problems which have in fact increased so much for so many during lockdown.

We all have different levels of comfort zones.

growstuff
*ElderlyPerson said: I hardly went out before.

So that is more the norm for him and the changes are not so great except for taking extra precautions.

Others may miss their travel, social lives and be looking forward to gradually returning to what was more normal for them.

We are all different and all entitled to share our views on how we are coping.

Callistemon

growstuff

Don't worry about people who say this kind of thing ElderlyPerson. They remind me of the playground bullies who try to goad other children into doing something out of their comfort zone (often downright dangerous) with the aim of making fun of the other children's fear.

People are just recounting their own experiences and how they are managing to live with a pandemic. growstuff.
No-one is bullying or trying to make ElderlyPerson anything which would make him uncomfortable.

If ElderlyPerson feels happier and safer living like this that is fine for him.

However, many would find the isolation and lack of contact intolerable leading to MH problems which have in fact increased so much for so many during lockdown.

We all have different levels of comfort zones.

Exactly! We are all different and many have coped perfectly well without being told how to live their lives or that they are "scared".

MawBe

growstuff

Don't worry about people who say this kind of thing ElderlyPerson. They remind me of the playground bullies who try to goad other children into doing something out of their comfort zone (often downright dangerous) with the aim of making fun of the other children's fear.

This is really unfair Growstuff
Nobody is bullying anybody and you are doing even ElderlyPerson a disservice to throw out random accusations.
I read Molly ‘s post as entirely caring and my own was based on my feeling that for many of us, Covid may have catapulted us into an “old age” way of life which we=might not have anticipated until at least our 80’s with increased (hopefully unnecessary) levels of anxiety and obsession with health risks.
Loneliness during the lockdowns was recognised as a significant factor for those suffering from dementia and will have contributed to the isolation many elderly people suffer from. Many posts on GN reveal fear of going out, or mixing even with family or close friends.
That is not the life I intend to lead in the remainder of my 70’s, as long as my general health and mobility permit!

You are entitled to your opinion, as I am of mine.

The one thing that would worry me about those living alone and with a very restrictive routine is, what would happen if they had any kind of emergency, especially a medical emergency where they could not ring for help? Who is going to know? Who is going to notice that they haven't been about for several days?

It might not be so bad if you have one of those emergency pendants, but the irony is that those most desperately in need of them are the least likely to have one.

My family have been untouched by COVID but have had to deal with two such emergencies in the past year. Last summer at the height of the first wave and as a result of a GP cock-up DD, who lives alone, became dangerously, close to fatally, anaemic. She was told she could have a fatal heart attack at any moment and if she thought this was happening or if she fainted she should go direct to A&E, I will skip discussing how in those conditions she could get herself to A&E or even ring for help, but because we were in contact everyday and she rang us as soon as possible after beng told this we were able quickly to be with her, even though she lives some distance away, (she is our bubble) and make sure she wasn't alone, until her condition stabilised.

Last November DH had a heart attack, again when it happened he was too ill to ring for help, obviously I was there so help was summoned and it came within minutes.

But, situations like this are made more dangerous if no-one is going to miss seeing you because you are living like a hermit. As I said, I do understand why some people have adopted and are sticking with very restrictive routines still, but have they thought through the wider dangers of this way of life that mitigate one danger but replace it with many more?

The good neighbours scheme is a good initiative, though I suspect your daughter would not have been identified as she is young. I hope she's ok Monica.

I like your post MawBe. You have expressed the changes I have felt during this pandemic before which I never really thought about my age, I am 71. From a can do, active person, my whole demeanour has changed to one of a much older person with no desire to go out as apathy firmly set in to a point where I no longer recognised who I was apart from, an elderly woman which was brought home to me when the elderly were advised to lockdown for 12 weeks, not to go out unless absolutely essential.

What I needed was gentle persuasion from both DDs to safely get out a bit more which I now do. Their concern and encouragement, wasn’t bullying and has been so helpful in my case. DH is a bit more content to stay at home, neither of us ready to pick up our social life just yet.

I will continue to wear a mask in shops and hand washing, very much aware that the virus is ever present, I will make my own decision when I feel safe enough to embrace freedom day.

Best wishes to your DH and DD M0nica

MaryDoll
I think your indomitable spirit will keep you going for many many many more years to come ?
I very much hope so. You amaze me with what you have to deal with.

Hear, hear Meryl

Marydoll is such an inspiration to many of us. She has such incredible spirit.

I agree with that. Marydoll is absolutely an inspiration, actually in many ways, but the physical problems she has dealt with, the shielding, all dealt with so well, and she never has a bad or cross word to anyone on here.

JaneJudge

The good neighbours scheme is a good initiative, though I suspect your daughter would not have been identified as she is young. I hope she's ok Monica.

We were rather surprised to be identified as "the elderly neighbours" at the start of the pandemic when several, admittedly younger, neighbours offered their help at any time and we shared contact details. They do check on us from time to time too and have been very good. We in turn can offer them help in different ways.

Do you have neighbours who keep an eye out for you, ElderlyPerson? I hope so and hope you do have some social contact which I am sure will be safe if you each wear a mask and stay a safe distance.

It's a worrying effect of this pandemic that people, many elderly, have shut themselves away because they are so scared, and, as M0nica says, if anything untoward should happen, no-one might know or be able to summon help.

I'll continue with my mask in shops,etc although the thought of not having steamy glasses would be brilliant.

This thread is number three on the Gransnet daily Top threads list today.

Callistemon wrote:

> We were rather surprised to be identified as "the elderly neighbours" ...

Indeed. One starts off as a child and there are "grown ups" about.

Then one becomes a "grown up".

Then day by day one changes and suddenly

"Stand out of the way so that that elderly gentleman can pass by ..."

Look around, where is he?

Oh, it's me!

I've used public transport throughout all three 'Lockdowns' - going to very necessary Weekly Medical Appointments, which I also used as an opportunity to go Food Shopping and for some exercise ..................... and I started to wear a mask/face covering from Week 1 - albeit home-made ones at first, until I could access some on the internet.

I make sure that I scan my NHS App to 'Log In' when entering cafes etc, and I wear my mask until I'm seated at a table

I've now been 'double-jabbed', but I still wear my face mask in Supermarkets / on Public Transport / in Waiting Rooms (GP's, Hospitals, Clinics) etc.

When walking around outdoors in Town Centres, I remove my mask AS LONG AS THERE ARE NO CROWDS AROUND ME OR IN THE VICINITY. As soon as I come to an area where there are increasing numbers of people who are closer than 6ft to me, I put my mask back on again.

I now HUG my immediate family - but not friends who I would normally have hugged prior to Lockdown.

No matter what the instructions are I WILL CONTINUE TO DO ALL THESE THINGS, until I personally feel 100% reassured that Covid-19 is no longer a threat to the population of this country.

I'm appalled that we have been allowing people to fly in and out of UK since March 2020.
I'm appalled that there were no proper controls enforced regarding isolation when people entered our country.
I'm appalled that Football Matches / Race Meetings / Wimbledon etc have been allowed to continue.

I take all these things as a sign that Boris Johnson is more concerned about appeasing 'Popular Opinion (Votes Winning), Betting Businesses (Tax Reasons? Profits?) than he is about the general Wellbeing of the population of this country!

I asked on my Facebook page if people would continue to wear a mask in shops etc and all said yes. The health secretary, when asked if he would still wear a mask, said he would always have one in pocket for when needed. I will continue with wearing a mask and keeping my distance and of course washing hands.

Calendargirl

Just as a matter of interest, how many GN’ers are still quarantining their post and shopping, disinfecting it and not putting it away for three days?

I have never done this, and wonder if others are.

I've never done it.

Personal choice, but I felt that it was overkill. I don't suppose there will ever be statistics available to show the effectiveness of it.

Just ordered 2 new masks from Brilliant Masks- might as well be safe and stylish. Definitely follow Prof Chris Whitty's rule of 3

HurdyGurdy There is plenty of evidence to show that the probability of transfer by is so low it is as good as nil.

Tests where large quantities of virus were smeared on packets showed how the virus could survive, several days, on some surfaces, but laboratory smears contained far more virus than was ever likely to be transferred by a hand, plus you need the concentration of virus contained from inhaling droplets to be present and then inhaled and this is highly improbable to happen from any virus on a package.

You do not get COVID from one viral unit, nor, I suspect 10 or 100, but you need to inhale 1,000s of viral units for your immune system to be overwhelmed. Also viral particles age and die and the presence of particles does not mean that they are capable of giving you a disease, after a few hours senescence sets in and the viral particles effectively become the living dead, not the deadly living.

Like many things transfers are theoretically possible, but practically very unlikely.

Like you I never saw any need to do sto quarantine shopping or deliveries. I did during the early months of lockdown have a big box by the doors for deliveries. I was more concerned about delivery drivers, breathing the virus over me than getting it from the parcel they handed me.

It is everyone’s personal choice
I only wear mine now because it the rules but I don’t believe they are achieving any thing

ElderlyPerson

Callistemon wrote:

> We were rather surprised to be identified as "the elderly neighbours" ...

Indeed. One starts off as a child and there are "grown ups" about.

Then one becomes a "grown up".

Then day by day one changes and suddenly

"Stand out of the way so that that elderly gentleman can pass by ..."

Look around, where is he?

Oh, it's me!

I was out in the garden chatting over the fence to the little boy next door. His mum asked him who he was talking to.

"Just the old lady next door" came the reply.

I'm 59. ?